News-Times Whidbey
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2012 | Vol. 113, No. 15 | www.whidbeynewstimes.com | 75¢
Sports: Bowlers strike their way to state title. A7
New nickel an acre land fee probable By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter
Nathan Whalen/Whidbey News-Times
As a result of a state Supreme Court decision, it appears that an assessment on Island County property owners will increase. But it won’t be a big jump --- just 5 cents an acre. The county commissioners held a special session Tuesday morning to discuss repealing or revising a 2009 ordinance that imposed a special assessment of $5 per parcel to fund programs of the Whidbey Island and Snohomish County conservation districts. In the end, the commissioners elected to take the repeal off the table and forwarded two version of the revised ordinance to a March 12 public hearing. The Supreme Court published an opinion last Thursday that invalidated a Mason County ordinance which was very similar to Island County’s ordinance. The justices ruled that the Mason County ordi-
nance violated state law because it didn’t include a per-acre fee. State law allows counties to create a special assessment to fund conservation district programs, but it requires a per-acre fee. The ordinances in both Mason and Island counties had flat taxes of $5 per parcel in order to avoid the administrative work of figuring out acreages. Island County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor David Jamieson pointed out the irony of the decision. “The Supreme Court found the ordinance invalid for not charging property owners enough,” he said. “They should have charged more.” As a result, the commissioners decided to add an assessment of 5 cents an acre in addition to the flatfee of $5 a parcel. Commissioner Kelly Emerson proposed that the ordinance be changed so that it expires in three years, instead of See nickel, A4
Coupeville High School Senior Zac Forland works on a robotic arm he’s helping design for a Science Olympiad competition next month.
Man’s throat slashed Students’ brains exercised with broken bottle
for Science Olympiad By NATHAN WHALEN Staff reporter
Sophomores Jared Dickson and Brandon Kelley are learning the improvisational and critical thinking skills needed to compete in an experimental design contest. As members of the 15-student Science Olympiad team at Coupeville High School, the duo is busy developing an experiment based on siphoning. “They have to think quickly. They have to think creatively and they have to understand the scientific method,” said John Burks, a chemist who has volunteered with the See Science, A4
Nathan Whalen/Whidbey News-Times
Sophomore Jared Dickson measures water needed for an experiment.
By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter
A 26-year-old man is on a ventilator after a suspect slashed his throat and face with a broken beer bottle at the Element nightclub in Oak Harbor early Saturday morning, according to the police. Detective Sgt. Teri Gardner with the Oak Harbor Police Department said the suspect was apprehended at a restaurant in Lynnwood over the holiday weekend. The 26-yearold suspect hasn’t been charged, but may face one count of firstdegree assault. The two men got into a fight inside the nightclub. The suspect broke a bottle of Corona and attacked the other man, cutting his throat and face, according to Gardner. The attack was reported at 1:12 a.m. The victim was taken by ambulance to Whidbey General Hospital. He was placed on a ventilator in the
intensive care unit, so the police haven’t been able to interview him yet, Gardner said. The suspect left the nightclub before the police arrived, but officers were able to identify him from witness accounts and a video recording from inside the club. On Sunday, the police received a tip that the suspect was at a restaurant in Lynnwood. Gardner said they contacted Lynnwood police and had him picked up on a Department of Corrections detainer. The detectives are looking for additional witnesses to the assault. Anyone who saw the incident or has any information should contact police at 360-279-4600.